Tea-infuser



WM J. H. SUTTHOFP.

TEA INPUSER.

UNITED STATES PATENT Oriucn JOHN l'lENRY SUTTIIOFF, OF SEATTLE, KVASHINGTON.

TEA-INFUSER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 584,020, dated June 8, 1897.

Application filed March 15, 1897. Serial No. 627,564. (No model.)

T0 ((,Z 107mm, it may conccl'n:

Be it known that I, JOHN HENRY SUT'rHoFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the countyof King and State of fashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tea-Infosers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for producing infusions of tea and similar substances; and the object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective device capable of easy manipulation and of few parts The invention consists in the construction and arrangenient of the parts, as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

l have illustrated the invention in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device with the cap reinoved ready for filling. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the piston pushed down and the cap in place, the device being shown iu this view as ready to be submerged in the hot water to make the infusion.

In the figures, A represents a cylinder of sheet metal perforated, as shown, to permit the water in which the device is subnierged to penetrate readily to the interioi'. lVithin this cylinder is fitted a pi ston B, which is Vertically movable therein and maybe entirely removed for the purpose hereinafter explained. If desired, the piston may be guided and kept from binding in its Vertical inoveinent by ears Z), formed upon or sccured to opposite sides thereof. Side bars O are connected to the edge of the piston upon'opposite sides thereof, and these bars are connected at their upper ends by a cross-bar C', which forms a handle by means of which the piston may be adjusted within the cylinder or removed entirely therefrom. The side bars and crossbars are preferably forined of a single piece of sheet metal bent into the shape shown with its ends connected in a suitable manner to the piston. The bars are of such a length that when the piston is pushed downward to the bottom of the cylinder the cross-bar will lie even with or below the upper end of the cylinder, so that the cap D may be placed thereon. The cap may also be perforated, if desired,

and is provided with suitable looking means for holding it in place, such as slots in its rim engaging pins or projections (Z upon the outer sides of the cylinder.

The objectof making the piston movable is to provide means for measuring the tea according to the quantity of the infusion desired. The side bars are preferably bifurcated to form slots c, and the bars upon one side of the slots are provided with a series of notches or recesses c', which are adapted to register with pins c,proj ecting inwardly from the upper portion of the cylinder. These notches are a distance apart calculated to measure or determine the number of cups of the infusion, and, if desired, numbers may be placed upon the side bars opposite the notches to indicate the quantity of the infusion.

From the above description of the construction of the device the mode of using the same will be readily understood. Supposing the cover to be remove'd, as shown in Fig. 1, and that it is desired to make three cups of tea or similar infusion7 the piston is adjusted vertically until the pins on the inner face of the cylinder' are opposite the third notch from the bottom or where indicating-nuinerals are used until the numeral 3 is in the proper position. The portion of the cylinder above the piston is then filled with tea, the position of the piston accurately determinin g the amount to be used. The side bars and piston are then yturned to disengage the notches from the pins with which they are engaged while filling to prevent the displacement of the piston, and the piston is pushed clear to the bottom of the cylinder and the cover or cap placed upon the cylinder, as shown in Fig. 2, when the device is ready to be placed in or submerged in the hot water with which the infusion is to be made. A suitable cork bob is connected to the cover by a cord, by which the device may be removed after the infusion has steeped for the desired length of time.

It will thus be seen that a very simple and convenient form of the device is provided, one in which there are no projecting parts when the cap is in place and the device in readiness to be placed in the teapot or similar receptacle, and thus there is nothing to prevent its being placed in any teapot and the cover of the teapot placed in its proper position. Fnrther, after the infnsion is made the piston may be entirely removed from the cylinder and the tea-leeves carried thereon to a place of deposit.

Having thns described my invention, What I claim is- 1. A device for prodncing infusions comprising the perforated cylinder open at both ends, the piston verticelly adj usteble therein and adapted to be moved to form a closure for one end of the cylinder, and the removable cover for closing the other end of the cylinder, substantially as described.

2. A device for making infusions c01npris ing the perfomted cylinder, the piston lnovable therein, the side bars connected to the piston and having' notches edapted to register With projections on the interior of the cylinder, end the rernovahle cover, snbstan tielly as described.

3. A device for making infusions coinprsing the perforated cylinder, the piston thereon, the side bers connected to the piston and having" notches adepted to register with projections on the interior of the cylinder, the cross-bar connecting` the upper ends of said side bars, and the renlovable cover, substantially as described.

4. A device for making infusions conlprising the perforated cylinder, the piston, the divided cross-here connected to said piston and having notches adapted to register With 

